Friend or Foe?
by Writing Maiden
Summary: Orochimaru and Atasuki still out there and a new treat coming along with a girl
1. Chapter 1

I was having such a hard time naming this but it's done! My first chapter on my first naruto fanfic. Spoiler warning…I think. At first I wanted to do from where I read in the manga but I think nobody would read it because it's a spoiler so I just took some of the jutsus and a bit of the story line. The spoiler is mostly on Kakashi's past and a bunch of things. But for all I know you already seen it.

* * *

**Prolouge...**_  
_

_Damn! _Naruto punched a tree _I… _punch _…could've… _kick_ …saved… _punch_ …him if I…_ punch_ …went there faster! _"Rasengan!" he slammed a swirling all of chakra to the tree causing the bark to break and fall.

"HEY!" Naruto saw a girl coming out from under the tree. "Sorr-" Naruto wanted to say but the girl shouted at him "YOU IDIOT! CAN'T YOU SEE I WAS THERE! YOU COULD AT LEAST SAY TIMBER OR SOMETHING!" Naruto shouted back "DIDN'T YOU HEAR ALL THE KICK AND PUNCH AND I SAID 'RASENGAN! RESENGAN!' MAYBE YOUR THICK HEAD CHOULDN'T HEAR IT!"

"WELL MY 'THICK HEAD' CAN HEAR YOU POINTLESSLY CUTTING DOWN TREES" she screamed. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN THOUGH!" Naruto shouted back louder. "OH CRY ME A RIVER WILL YOU MAYBE THE TREES WILL GO BACK!"

Naruto gave up. "What are you doing here anyway?" the girl wanted to scream back but noticed that he stopped screaming. Then she remembered that she was near the village and somebody would want to check out if anything happened and that she would be in deep shit if she was found with Mr. Tree Breaker. "Nothing. Bye!" and she went away.

"What a weird girl"


	2. Chapter 2

"Hinoku-chan!" Kakashi called out as he saw a girl. The girl was wearing a red turtle necked, long-sleeved shirt with blue long pants. Shikamaru, who just happen to be there, thought _she's weird. Who would wear clothes like that in the middle of the summer! You can't even see her fingers._ "Kakashi-sensei…I was suppose to meet you at the forest but..." _there was a freakin guy there boxing all the trees to sand _she wanted to say but she wanted to make a good impression on her new teacher.

Kakashi was disappointed because he wanted to piss the team off by being late…again but he was running out of ideas anyway. "Hinoku-chan?" he saw that she was at the ramen store that was oh so conveniently placed beside her. "Another one oba-san!" Hinoku was eating her 3 bowl of ramen. "Wow. She eats just as much as Naruto!"

"Done!" Kakashi and Shikamaru (he was there because he didn't think any girl would not care about her figure) sweatdroped because no time pass by between the last paragraph and this paragraph and she ate 5 bowls of ramen. "KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura shouted holding Naruto by his ear. _Geez Sakura's acting less girlish since she started to train with that old hag… _Naruto was into calling Tsunade names that he didn't realise… "It's you!" Hinoku pointed at Naruto. "Hey it's that weird girl!" "Who you calling a weird girl?" Hinoku sent glares at him.

(In the clearing)

"I see you met your new teammate, Matsumara Hinoku" Kakashi said. "WHATT! WHY!" "Because she had some…'problems'…with the last _few_ teachers." "It's the replacement for Sasuke-kun isn't it?" Sakura suddenly said. "HEY DON'T SAY IT LIKE I'M AN ANIMAL!" Sakura smiled and said "Are you sure?" "Well not only do you suck at being a shinobi you're also stupid" Hinoku said back.

Kakashi stopped Sakura and Hinoku before anything gets worse and told Hinoku "They just missed their friend" "Uchiha Sasuke the last of the Uchiha clan or should I say one of the last Uchiha since his brother is alive. Uchiha Itachi S-class criminal. I wonder why he would stay with you?" Hinoku said in a know-it-all tone. Now Sakura was pissed. She threw a punch at Hinoku but Hinoku blocked it. And the next one. And the next one. Until she got angry and punched the ground and a line of crushed rocks was headed straight to Hinoku. Hinoku jumped and was…flying in the sky.

"Kakashi-sensei! Anosa, anosa she's flying" Kakashi sigh. Naruto might have been training with Jiraiya but he's not any smarter. "She's not flying. She collected enough chakra at her feet to push against the ground. But it takes a lot of concentration to maintain it. Especially in the middle of a battle" _This girl is to be reckoned with. She knew about Itachi and Sasuke._ Hinoku came back down. "Is that all you can do…run!" Sakura mocked her "Nope I can also do THIS!" Hinoku somersaulted and landed. "What's that suppose to be!" Sakura asked. "Just look around you" Sakura turned and she got cut. She saw nothing but because of the sun something shimmered.

"My needles and wire" Hinoku answered. "But I didn't see you throwing anything from there" Sakura said. Kakashi knew the answer "Because she put it there before she jumped, right?" "Yup. While I was blocking the punches I planted the wires" Hinoku explained. _Things might get a little ugly if I don't stop them…soon _Kakashi stopped Sakura before she hurt herself from trying to get out of the wire cage. "Hinoku-chan can you please…" "Yeah yeah" Hinoku cut him off. The wires came off the ground and went into her sleeve. Sakura healed herself, not sure of what to think of her new 'teammate'.

_I have to meet with the last three teachers_ Kakashi said to himself.

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Hinoku was walking around the village of Konoha. _Talk about a good first impression. And I really wanted to be with that…_She suddenly bumped a girl. "Sorry" Hinoku said, she saw that the girl had no pupils and next to her was a lunchbox which has no lunch in it. "I'm soo sorry!" she said. "It…no problem…" An idea popped into Hinoku's head. "Can you wait here?" but she left before the girl can answer anything.

Hinoku ran back to her place and when she reached there she went to the kitchen and took two lunchboxes and ran back. "Back" Hinoku gave one of the lunchboxes to the girl. "I'm Matsumara Hinoku" Hinoku said. "I'm Hyuga Hinata. Nice to meet you. Thanks you for the food" she stuttered. "No prob. I ruined yours anyway" _Hyuga…No wonder she has no pupils._

"Hinata!" Kurenai called. "Thanks for the lunch, again" and Hinata ran to her teacher. Kurenai looked at the girl. _So she's Kakashi's new genin. I wonder if she's like the rumors say she is._

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From what Kakashi got from the other three teachers, Hinoku knows more than a mere gennin (especially one who just came from the academy) and nearly killed five students and where she came from is a mystery, they just found her from out of nowhere! He didn't know which is worse her or Sasuke.


	3. A question solved a question made

I'm thinking of sasuxOC. PLZZZZZ review

**Chappie 3 A question solved a question made.**

Hinoku was sitting with Hinata, both eating bento. They did that after training since they met. However, every time Hinata's teacher, Kurenai-sensei, asked Hinata to train more she always shot Hinoku a look. _I suppose you can't nearly killed a few people without getting a bad rep. _Hinoku thought as she walked to the place Kakashi said he wanted to meet her at…2 hours ago.

"Yo, Hino-chan. You came just in time" Kakashi greeted her. "SHE DID NOT COME JUST IN TIME! SHE WAS LATE JUST LIKE YOU!" Sakura did a bunch of attacks, which since Sakura trained under the old hag, ahem Gondaime, has become stronger and so Kakashi found it hard to avoid her attacks. Hinoku watched amusingly as Sakura tried to jump-kick Kakashi but he evaded it. _Stupid. I hardly know Kakashi-sensei but you don't have the sense to know he is ALWAYS gonna be late. _

Deciding that she did not want another fight, she kept quiet. "Three months from now the Chunin exams will be held here. Tsunade-sama wants Sakura to help see through the entrance forms. Naruto, don't mess up filling the form or Tsunade will blow a socket" _Or an office…_He remembered the last time a kid made a prank by scribbling in the forms. That kid will never be the same…

"And Hinoku, do you want to enter the exams?" Kakashi sighed. He, in the very short time he knew her, knew that she was as every bit as arrogant as Naruto, actually nobody can be as arrogant as Naruto, maybe less but more so than the other genins. Therefore, he knew that she would say yes without even considering – or caring - about the dangers if she entered the exam and there would be no stopping her. Seeing her fight with Sakura show that she wasn't a normal genin but still he didn't know the extent of her powers, for all he knows she could be dead the moment she steps in.

True to his fears she said "Yes"

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After patching a few details, Kakashi dismissed them. A war was raging in Hinoku as she decided weather to talk to Sakura or not. Hinata said that Hinoku should forgive Sakura because they're having a rough time. _I suppose it has to do with Sasuke but didn't they already retrieve him… did he escape again or something…wait…I remember one of them saying 'He's here but not here' when I asked what happened to Sasuke. That was the exact words that the villagers of her hometown said when…my parents died…_Hinoku gasped. _He can't be dead right…I mean the guy could just be those confuse people with riddles kind of guy. Come to think of it, that guy was the teacher of that lazy bum Shikamaru. Therefore, if Shika was like that so the teacher was defiantly messing with me. Unless he was actually serious and Sasuke did an accidental jutsu that made him 'there but not there' whatever that means._

By the end of the day, she didn't solve either the mystery of the Sasuke or to talk to Sakura or not. And when she got back to her apartment she seriously regretted it, Hinata found out that she still haven't talked to Sakura so she kept nagging and nagging. "Geez Hinata I'll talk to her when I see her okay" Hinata gave a satisfying nod. _That is if I see her_ Hinoku thought. At that point, she made sure that she never sees Sakura.

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Sakura was walking to the office building it while it was early in the morning when she bumped into Hinoku. Hinoku looked surprised for a moment. Of course, anybody would be if they saw her…because she didn't get any sleep from the paperwork that she had to do…_and that old hag wasn't helping at all. Unless being drunk helps you_…so there were bags under her eyes, her face was pale from lack of food and she was dragging her legs because she didn't have the strength to walk properly. "Oh Sakura I thought you were a ..." Sakura thought she was going to say a ghost but Hinoku did not continue the sentence. Then Sakura really saw her. Hinoku was wearing what she wore all the time but she could see her chakra flow around her a little bit distorted and she was sweating through her clothes. The fact that she was sweating was surprising because Sakura never saw her sweat, though the missions that they did were D-class but Sakura remembered that the first time she got those missions she was sweating as if it rained.

Sakura knew the moment she saw Hinoku that she was not normal. She managed to stump her when they were battling and her chakra was…well she could not explain it…it felt strong but it was not. When she tried to find out about her past in the papers the she had to file she found nothing. It just said that a group of genins found her near death in a forest while finding Taro, the Fire Lord's wife's cat. Sakura was pissed after that because that was all she could find and she did not finish her work. "Sakura…I want to say sorry about the thing at that place" then she mumbled 'Sorry' and something about hard time and well if a stranger (or Naruto) was there they wouldn't know what she was talking about but Sakura knew because that was the only time she ever spoken to her. "Friends?" Hinoku said after tons and tons of mumbling. "Sure"

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_Kill. Sakura. _Hinoku thought as a stack of papers dropped in front of her. The day their friendship started Sakura managed to convince Hinoku to help in her work. After experiencing hell, Hinoku then made Hinata go help too. _Maybe I went too far with Hinata but she DID nag me to make friends with Sakura and that's how the whole thing started…_She walked down the corridor to pick up Hinata and Sakura though Sakura rarely went home the same time because had to do more work because Hinata and Hinoku had no obligations. Hinoku knocked on the office door to see Hinata doing her last stack. "Hina-chan" Hinoku called. "You already finished?" Hinata asked. She stopped stuttering whenever she talks now because of Hinoku's encouragements but she still acted timid. "Yup anyway we can just leave the rest to Sakura" "That's mean!" Hinata said but there was another voice, Sakura. "Ya ya anyway I can't be doing any slave work anymore because I'm in the exams, that would be against the rules, so I'm f-r-e-e-" Hinoku said happily. She found out that the next stack of work were about the tests in the exam so she was not allowed anymore.

Hinata knew that Hinoku did not like going to the office not only because she did not want to do the papers but also because she, for some reason, did not want to meet the Gondaime. She always made excuses to get out whenever Tsunade-sama was near. Hinata did not ask because she might be nervous in the presence of Gondaime. _I am._

Hinoku and gang were almost going until someone stopped her. "Sakura-chan. You finished all the paperwork already?" Tsunade asked. "Hai, Tsunade-sama". Tsunade looked at Hinata then at Hinoku. She held her breath, trying to look calm. _That girl looks familiar…yes she's the one they found at the forest…but she looks like someone else. _Tsunade thought as she walked away from them. Hinoku breathed out "So let's eat at Ichiraku!"

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_Bored…So damn bored…_Hinoku wondered around town. Since Hinata was already a chunnin, she was helping Sakura. _They said I should train for the exam, but I train at night so what do I do in the morning. I could try to sleep but ever since I helped Sakura, I got used to not sleeping until I drop dead or something, and then I wake up so frickin late. Maybe I should train until I'm tired, at least give the impression that I did not sneak at night to train…might as well…Being an insomniac sure is boring…_She reached the clearing took her kunai. She went deep into the forest and found a place with enough space to train. Since the area was really big, she had an idea._ Screw training _she thought. _I haven't danced for a while, onee-san is going to kill me if I don't practice. Just hope I remember. _She looked around to make sure that there was nobody there and that it was deep enough in the forest for people not to hear anything.

She stood in the middle of the field, begin waltzing and twirling around the center and she spread farther from the center until she was at the edge of the field. She went round and round, dizzy because she had to pay attention to every step she made, so that she do not trip on a stone or branch. After she burnt their location into her head, she closed her eyes gracefully avoiding all obstacles. _There's a stone…there!_ She turned left. Then she felt another presence, hiding in the forest. _Wonder, wonder who it is? _She thought playfully, still dancing around. She prepared to throw the kunai that was still in her hands the whole time she was dancing, but she thought the better of it. _ It could be a teacher…Option 1 I throw it and it kills a teacher I'm dead and can't explain why I was here. Option 2 I can just dance around until it's late and stop if he means no harm or until he makes it obvious that his there. Might as well go with option three, trip and fall. _She remembered that there was a rock about three feet away from her.

She flung herself to the ground after feeling the rock and braced herself for impact. "Ouch, ouch, damn, damn" she said. _Okay a bit over exaggerating but whatever sells. _

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He went the moment she tripped. _That girl isn't as she seems. She looks innocent enough but her chakra is different…It's not like concealing her chakra but it's more like she restraining it. It's hard to see. Moreover, she knew I was here. Her hand clenched the kunai for a moment. No genin ever found my presence unless I want them to… _He left the forest ever so silently not knowing somebody was following him.

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_Damn this guy's fast _Hinoku was running towards the guy, who was following her and also headed towards the village. _Either the village has found me out or that guy main purpose is to perpetrate Konoha…either way, by the words of Shika-chan, this is so troublesome._ She then stopped in front of a hospital. _He's here? _ She walked into the hospital walking toward the stranger's charkra. She reached a room and went in carefully.

"Hino-chan, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked. He was sitting beside a bed. "Ummm…" Hinoku was not sure of what to say. "I see so you found out…" Kakashi said. _Found out what?_ "…about Sasuke" _Sasuke? _She looked at the bed beside Kakashi…it was Sasuke. "What happened to him?" Hinoku asked trying not to look shocked. "That day…"

"_Hurry!" Naruto shouted while jumping from tree to tree. Sakura and Kakashi was barely able to follow Naruto. "HEY NARUTO! SLOW DOWN" Sakura shouted but Naruto couldn't hear her. They originally came with, well, everyone they know but each of them left to defeat the opponent. Then they reached a cliff. "There must be an entrance here…" Sakura said and she stared hitting the cliff. Rocks and boulders came showering down to Kakashi and Naruto. They were avoiding the rocks until Sakura stopped. "HERE!" Sakura said. They saw a cave and by the way she was digging, they wouldn't be surprised if she dug the cave itself. _

_They went in and saw distorted looking people that looked like they have been tortured and froze in that twisted position. There were others that looked like humans fused with animal or animals with animals. It chilled them to the bone. Then they saw Sasuke…and Orochimaru. They were strapped to a table and there was a weird machine hooked up to their head. "SASUKE!" Sakura shouted with relief but it was short lived. Kabuto appeared from behind the machine with a smile on his face. "You're too late! I already started it! Soon Orochimaru-sama will be immortal!" he said but Naruto didn't hear him. He went straight to the machine and punched it causing it to explode. "You fool! If you do that they'll be…" Kabuto stopped after analyzing his situation. Orochimaru can't protect him. He got three pissed off, powerful people probably angry with him. He started to run away but Kakashi knocked him unconscious. _

_Naruto was there trying to wake Sasuke up but he stayed unconscious. Sakura wanted to scold Naruto but did not have the heart to do it. She checked Sasuke's pulse. "His heart is still beating" Sakura said. It made Naruto a bit happier. He carried his rival and his friend back to Konoha._


	4. Revenge

**Chappie 3  
**

After Kakashi told her the story, she excused herself and left the room. _That so explains everything except one thing…where the hell is the guy I chased! It wasn't Kakashi was it… no it definitely wasn't. I must have underestimated him, thinking that he didn't know that I was following him. I could search for him but he probably ran away already. _Hinoku sighed, _Anyway there's another problem…Sasuke's gonna die and Kakashi-sensei knows that. I'll bet that the old geezers have no idea what to do… maybe if I hmm… it might work but the t…wait, wait, WAIT, what am I thinking here! It's their problem, who am I to help them._

_Who am I to think that I want to help them._

_---------------------------------- _

After Hinoku left Kakashi opened the closet and took out an unconscious guy, the guy Hinoku was chasing, and said, "You almost managed to run away so why did you come here?" Kakashi looked out the window to see Hinoku deep in thought. "Is it because you were chased?"

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_To save or not to save, to have my revenge or to completely blow it, what the hell am I suppose to do!!! Sasuke's gonna die at this state. Him dying will throw them off for a while and then if I manipulate the circumstances a bit I can squeeze the blood outta them. With Naruto having Kyubi, it isn't that hard to cause a riot, then it would be finally done. All that I've worked for up until now will be worth it…_

_**But can you pay the price?**_

_I've always been paying the price!!_

_**So leaving Sasuke to die is considered a price?**_

_Damn you..._

Hinoku closed her eyes and massaged her head. The sunlight and the nagging voice in her head were hurting her head, so she kept her eyes closed. She wanted to go back to her apartment close all the curtains and snuggle into her bed. _Sunglasses would be very useful at this point, but no helping the nagging voice. _

She could feel people's chakra, faint but still there. Like small threads flowing out from their body. Some were stronger, others weaker. Relying on her instinct, she avoided bumping to people. There was one person who actually bothered to hide his chakra, it wasn't well hidden but still she wouldn't have notice it if it wasn't that the chakra seemed familiar. She managed to avoid him but bumped against another person.

"Hey watch where you're going!" a girl said. Hinoku opened her eyes and saw a three people in hoods including the guy she just almost bumped. "Sorry," Hinoku said apologetically. The girl wanted to say something. "Temari leave her alone," the other guy said. "Fine" Temari said, she gave Hinoku a look and left. Hinoku watched three of them go. Hinoku didn't notice a faint whisper coming from her mouth.

"**Shukaku…"**

The guy she almost bumped turned back but she was already walking away.

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"Hmm Kakashi-sensei would surely be late today but still…" Hinoku told herself. Kakashi-sensei asked the team to meet him somewhere at dawn and she doubt that he will be there on time but she decided to go for lack of better things to do. And there was this nagging feeling she had ever since meeting that guy, _and you won't tell me anything about it…_

She waited as if expecting a reply but nothing happened. "Have it your way" Hinoku said before leaving her apartment.

Hinoku stretched her arms, feeling the cool dawn air around her. She always liked the dawn although she didn't like waking up that early. The air seemed fresher and cooler. The time when the sun slowly, beautifully, appears into the sky and the swirling colors of orange, red, blue and purple washes everything away. She loved that feeling. She also loved the sun being in the sky without giving out sharp sunrays and heat. She always hated the sun because she didn't like hot and bright days. But a long time ago, one of her mission lasted until very late at night or early morning that when she finished it, she saw the sunlight spilling to the sky.

Bloody and brusied, she watched the sunrise. It felt like water washing away everything away. Of course, it didn't last long, but it made her feel a bit better, purer even.

She reached the place where they were supposed to meet. It was right in front of the forest of death. "Kakashi-sensei?" Hinoku couldn't believe her eyes Kakashi-sensei was actually on time for once. Besides Naruto and Sakura, there were three people with Kakashi. "Sorry I'm late" Hinoku said, keeping the sarcasm from her voice because she thought that if Kakashi came on time it must be very important.

She glanced at the guests. They…felt very familiar. There were two guys and one girl. One guy had makeup on his face (well people have weird taste) and a huge thing on his back, the girl had blonde hair and a fan on her back and the other guy had a tattoo, red hair and a gourd on his back.

The tattoo guy looked surprised, in a calm kinda way, looking at Hinoku. "Hey, you're that girl!" the girl said. Kakashi asked, "You know them?" Hinoku remembered the voice of the girl as the one she bumped into the day before, Temari? "I bumped into them yesterday," Hinoku said. "Literally. Sorry about that" Temari didn't say or do anything.

"New student Kakashi?" The tattoo guy said, or asked she couldn't tell. "Hai, Kazekage-sama"

_Oh he's the Kazekage? Wonder what happened to the old fart_...

"He's here to...prepare the next exam" Kakashi said. "So...I shouldn't be here right? Since I am in the exam" Hinoku asked. Naruto wanted to say something but the Kazekage interrupted him. "Yes, apparently there's a mix up with the messenger" he said. Naruto gave a look to the Kazekage "Gaara…ouch!" Sakura hit Naruto on the head.

"Ok..." Hinoku shrugged and went away.

_**Why didn't you do anything? They are clearly lying, Naruto is also in the exam and he's still there.**_

_Geez don't whine so much. It's probably about Akatsuki and it isn't any of our business. Security and stuff like that. And the Kazekage's name is Gaara. You know the little monster who almost burried me in a few hundred feet of sand. Let's just hope he had so many assassins that he can't recognize me._

_**By the look of it, he might already have.**_

_Let's just hope he didn't. I can't blow my cover now._

_**It's your fault if you did. You underestimated him.**_

_He was just a boy!_

_**And you were just a girl.**_

_Well sorry if I pitied him. A guy like him doesn't deserve pity right?_

**…**

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"Kakashi" Gaara called. "The girl, Hinoku, why was she sent to your team isn't she just a genin" "So is Naruto. She had...problems with the other teams so she was sent to my team since Naruto is also a genin" "Problems?" Kakashi just smiled wearily.

--------------------------------------------------_--_

"Achooo!"

_What am I doing here? _Hinoku asked herself. Silence…

_Hey I'm the one that's suppose to sulk here!!!!!!!!!_

**…**

_Fine BE that way._

_**(Being that way)**_

She walked past glaring nurses, who was mad at her for scaring the children, and found herself in Sasuke's hospital room. She closed the door and looked around.

"For a guy who defected, you sure are popular" Hinoku said to herself when she saw flowers, get-well cards and teddybears on the tables.  
"And I bet this is just today's batch"

She walked towards Sasuke. He looked older than the pictures. His tall, lanky form was not as broad as Naruto but he was probably just as powerful.

"Built for speed" she mumbled and for some reason, a hint of a smile appeared on her lips.

She saw a card saying how 'Big-bad Orochimaru' took Sasuke and glad that his safe.

Her eyes hardened and she smiled without humor.

"Yes big-bad Orochimaru took Sasuke by force and Sasuke wasn't enticed by the promise of power to defeat Naruto and his brother, Itachi. Should've known those bastards would've spun some tale"

"God. Why don't I just leave you here to rot"

Hinoku looked at Sasuke with unexplained anger. Knowing it was unexplained, she calmed down.

"Sorry for that. I know how you feel. Hell, I would've done the same thing if it was offered but I can't help to feel lucky that nobody offered. At least not to your extent"

She sat down beside him. "Did you know what he was going to do?" she asked.

When he didn't respond (not that she thought that he would) she played with his hair. It was less spiky and more of a messy look and it looked better "I think you did know"

She laid her head on her arm started twirling his bangs absentmindedly. "It's very tempting isn't it? The promise of power. Of what it gives you. Revenge, pride, peace. But we both know…"

For a moment she was in the past. With people who walked, is walking and would walk the path she is on…and the consequences "When we use power for revenge we will never find peace, if we don't, peace would be harder to come by…"

"Some do find it, they reconcile with the fact that they never had their vengeance. A loved one, a sudden philosophical moment gave them a second chance of life. Others who don't find that 'something' will live a half-life forever until they die…but then the same could be said for people who executed their vengeance"

"A normal person would've said it was better to live a full life instead of living a half one just for the sake of revenge. However, they never had their parents killed, be scorned because of things that were out of our control, because of what I am, for something that…"

She stopped herself before she got in to deep. "Anyway, when something like that happens, we lose a part of our life. In a way, we died"

"I guess I could say I died before I was born" Hinoku said jokingly but she was on the brink of tears. She rubbed the tears out from her eyes and was relieved when her voice wasn't harsh or stuffy.

"Well, I have to go. It was nice talking to you"

She stood up and stretched herself. She took a look at Sasuke and couldn't help but want to touch his face.

_Guess I got a case of Sasufever. It's an epidemic._

She smiled and, for indulgence sake, touched his face.

The world around her spun and blacked out.

* * *

Should I stop??? Maybe I should stop. Seems like the perfect ending/cilffie. Cya. Please review!!! 


	5. Memories

You know i finished the chappie the same day I finished the last chappie but it was too good of a cliffie to leave. Hehe.

* * *

_Damn, what the hell happened?_

_Onii-san, can you teach me how to use the shuriken?_

_**I'm sorry otoutou but I'm busy. Next time**_

_Itachi… Guess this is Sasuke's mind._

_You always say that._

_**Sasuke don't bother your brother**_

_Hai, otou-san_

_Huh? This is a weird feeling…it's totally dark but somehow I can feel the events or memory in Sasuke's mind. Orochi-hebi's stupid experiment must've created a bridge between my mind and Sasu's._

_**Stupid girl! Stupid girl!**_

_Oh shit! Don't tell me it's a two way bridge…_

_Shut up!_

**_WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!! She hit me!!!!!!!! My nose is broken!!!!!!!!!!!! WEHHHHHHHHHHHHH_**

_Don't be such a baby, it's just bleeding you crybaby._

_Haha, oh sweet memories._

_**Why did you hit my boy?? You broke his nose!!!**_

_It was just bleeding…_

_**Your mom was a disgrace and your father was useless. You really are your parents' daughter. And you're such a burden to Satsuki.**_

_Whatever you old hag!!!!!!!!_

_Whatever you old hag!!!!!!!!_

_**Glad to see somethings never change…**_

_Oh there you are, you little bastard!!!!!!!!! How the hell do I get outta here?_

_**With or without Sasuke?**_

_You know for a guy who wanted me to kill a 7 years old boy for being who he is, you sure are intent to save this one when he got too close to the fire. And we aren't getting paid too._

…

_Geez_

She started running aimlessly around.

**_It's pointless to run around. You have to find him._**

_Why do you think I'm running around? What am I suppose to do? Tap my shoes three times and say, I wish Sasuke was here, I wish Sasuke was here, I wish Sasuke was here?_

Onee-san?

_Oh my god! It actually worked?!!!_

Onee-san?

_Wait…it's chibi Sasuke. Is this another memory?_

Onee-san? Am I gonna suffer?

_Huh? Why?_

Because I have to kill my brother…I hate him! He killed my family! But…he's also my family and when I kill him…I'll be alone again…I'm scared…I don't wanna be alone…

_Oh…_

Chibi Sasuke was on the verge of crying and he furiously rubbed his eyes.

And you said people live half-lives when they get their vengeance…

_Oh…_

_**You have to be really careful when answering him. It will affect us all…**_

_Ok…no pressure. _

_**Don't give a textbook answer please.**_

_Why don't you just give me the answer?_

_**There is no answer. It has to come from you.**_

_Ok…deep breath. It has to come from me._

Onee-san?

She crouched down to where Chibi Sasuke was and kissed each of his eyelids, a gesture she learnt from her sister. More to comfort herself than him.

_Umm…You don't have to be afraid. When you meet that person, you think, with your feelings, anger, happiness, whatever, with your heart and with your mind. As long as you believe, really, really believe, you will find peace. _

Really? Even if I kill him?

_Only if you really really really really believe that what you do is right._

_-----------------------------------------_

"Whoa. Talk about a roller coaster ride…" Hinoku wobbled a bit and clutched the side of the bed. She steadied and opened her eyes.

She sighed with relief when she saw a hospital room packed with teddy bears, get-well cards and flowers. Then she heard a movement on the bed.

"Damn, he's going to awake!!! What am I suppose to do?"

She panicked and looked around the room. The only way out, besides the door, was the window. She opened it and looked out.

_**Shouldn't you call the nurse.**_

_He's awake, I think he can do that for himself._

_**It would look very suspicious if you came out from the window.**_

_Well, I could henge into a pidgeon._

Hinoku transformed into a raven and decided to peck the call nurse button before flying off.

_**What happened to the pidgeon?**_

_Huh? It's not a pidgeon?_

--------------------------

Hinoku was back in her room. She looked at the clock. "It seems that time stops in there, so we don't have to worry about whether people barged in on us or not"

_**You really worry too much. Nothing you can do until tomorrow. Good job on the question by the way.**_

_Wow. It must be a red-letter day. You asked me to relax and you said I did a good job. _

…

The apartment had a kitchen, a living room, 2 bathrooms and 3 rooms. It wasn't big, it wasn't small. Anyway she was living alone so it really didn't matter.

She bathed and stood for a while to study her room.

She bought most of her stuff from the flea market. The mattress, which was covered with a bright blue bed sheet, matched the nice warm colored quilt with a nice bold blue streak on it, though she didn't think it was intentional. Two puffy pillows, also with blue streaks, sat on the mattress. She was thinking about buying a bedstead, but decided against it. The mattress was already more comfortable than a futon so she really didn't need to spend money on one.

She put a desk in front of the window. The desk had a beautiful flowery carving on it and a built in drawer. There was small mark on the desk that was hidden with a geometric pencil holder with a paper flower stuck on it. With the desk, there was a cushy chair with faded red spots and slashes on it. Hinoku tried to wash the red off because it reminded her of blood. Now it was more like pink but she pondered on making a blue streak on top of the red.

There was a rustic cabinet in the corner of the room. It had three doors and two drawers. The first two doors on the top of the drawers made up a closet and the third door had a mirror, shelves and another smaller drawer.

She wondered why people sold stuff which was still in perfect condition. She could understand the mattress because she heard that they were moving out and the mattress was too much to bring.

_Well, their loss my gain. And I was lucky I went there when the Hatsu boys decided to do painting. _

She looked at her room and its mismatched themes.

_I love it _she thought when she crawled into her bed. She hugged her pillow and went soundly to sleep cuddled in her quilt.

-------------------------

He walked aimlessly around, like always. And his memories played again. He ignored it.

_Onii-san, can you teach me how to use the shuriken?_

_**I'm sorry otoutou but I'm busy. Next time**_

_You always say that._

_**Sasuke don't bother your brother**_

_Hai, otou-san_

But this time he noticed something different.

_**Stupid girl! Stupid girl!**_

_Shut up!_

**_WAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!! She hit me!!!!!!!! My nose is broken!!!!!!!!!!!! WEHHHHHHHHHHHHH_**

_Don't be such a baby, it's just bleeding you crybaby._

_**Why did you hit my boy?? You broke his nose!!!**_

_It was just bleeding…_

_**Your mom was a disgrace and your father was useless. You really are your parents' daughter. And you're such a burden to Satsuki.**_

_Whatever you old hag!!!!!!!!_

He could hear someone else in this…place. A voice… Same as the other voice he heard talking to him from ourside but this one came from inside. He ran towards it hoping, not so convincingly, that someone would take him out from this purgatory.

He couldn't see her. He just felt that she was there.

Onee-san?

She didn't answer. Then he remembered what she told him from outside.

Onee-san? Am I gonna suffer?

_Huh? Why?_

Because I have to kill my brother…I hate him! He killed my family! But…he's also my family and when I kill him…I'll be alone again…I'm scared…I don't wanna be alone…

His eyes began to fill. That one thing that has been bothering him ever since he met his brother. All those memories before he killed…

_Oh…_

And you said people live half-lives when they get their vengeance…

_Oh…_

For a while there was silence. He called out again.

Onee-san?

He could feel somebody kiss his eyelids, a very comforting gesture.

_You don't have to be afraid. When you meet that person, you think, with your feelings, anger, happiness, whatever, with your heart and with your mind. As long as you believe, really, really believe, you will find peace. _

Really? Even if I kill him?

_Only if you really really really really believe that what you do is right._

The next thing he knew, he as in a bed with people hovering above him.

--------------------------------

At dawn, Hinoku walked around town. She couldn't sleep because she worried too much about…everything.

_What should I do when they tell me he's awake? 'Oh'? No, that's too impersonal. 'Great!!!" but that's too personal… 'Huh'? Hmm…_

_**How about something that has more than one syllable?**_

_Smart ass… How about… 'Really…that's great'_

_**Can do better but I suppose it'll do. Just don't make it too fake.**_

_That's insulting…_

_**Just reminding you. Seems like years of training went out of your head.**_

_Probably because here, I'm not suppose to have years of training._

…

_That's it!!!!!!!! I don't care why you have a stick up your non-existent ass but you better pull it out because I can't take your sulking anymore!!!!!!!!!!_

_**I'm sorry.**_

Hinoku knew he wasn't talking about sulking. You can't live with someone for, umm, forever without knowing the tones and stuff.

_About?_

_**Gaara. I'm sorry if I…**_

_You didn't. We're friends I know when you mean something and when you don't. Anyway if I were to call you stupid monkey idiot would you mind, even though it true?_

_**I wouldn't mind because it's not true.**_

_Sureeee._

A nice breeze blew at her face.

_Hmm…reminds me of home_ she thought.

Out of impulse she ran laughingly through town. She passed the clearing and into the trees, her orange hair trailing behind her like fire. She skillfully ran through the trees and climbed up the tallest tree using the charkra at the soles of her feet. When she reached the top she jumped into the sky, using the charkra on her feet to give an extra push. Then she was falling, she grabbed one of the tree branches and swung herself on it.

"That was fun!!!" she laughed, her heart beating rapidly.

_**You use to make your sister angry for doing that.**_

"Yeah, but compared to this, it was child's play" she said outloud.

"Really?"

Hinoku yelped and almost fell off the branch. She looked at the source of the voice and saw...

* * *

Hehe another one. I think my cliffies are kinda obvious but still... 

And I didn't finish the next chappie yet so I'm not purposely making you SUFFER I'm just lazy.


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